Leeds United were interested in Jordan Hugill before he made the move to West Ham United in January.
One of the most important issues that Leeds will surely need to address over the summer is their striker options, with leading goalscorer in the Championship, Pierre-Michel Lasogga only at Elland Road on loan and few of the other options giving Paul Heckingbottom any reason to believe that they will be ready to lead the line for a promotion-chasing team as soon as next season.
The likes of Jay-Roy Grot and Caleb Ekuban have had bright moments, but one league goal between the pair suggests that expecting Lasogga’s decent form from this term next season from either would be a huge ask, while Kemar Roofe’s problem appears to be that he can look like a world-beater one week before going on a run of a few games without looking like scoring.
Tyler Roberts has been injured since arriving and it is too soon to expect under-23 regulars such as Sam Dalby to play frequently in the senior side next term.
If Leeds could hold onto Lasogga for another year while the large group behind him in the pecking order keep developing, that may be ideal, but Heckingbottom needs to have other plans in place in case the German’s future lies elsewhere – and that should perhaps tempt the Whites to go back in for Jordan Hugill.
The Yorkshire Evening Post reported in January that Leeds were keen on Hugill but had doubts over his asking price which was reportedly no lower than £8 million. Ultimately, Hugill would leave Preston North End before the deadline, but for West Ham in a £10 million deal – fee reported by BBC Sport.
However, Hugill’s time at the London Stadium has started extremely poorly. The 25-year-old has played just 12 minutes of Premier League football since arriving and his performance in the friendly with Dagenham and Redbridge this week led to plenty of criticism from the fans despite the striker scoring in the win.
If the Hammers manage to stay up and Hugill remains on the periphery for the rest of the season, Leeds should perhaps try their luck and make a loan bid for the forward in the summer.
Hugill has a decent record in the Championship over the last couple of years so would arguably be a good addition if signed on a temporary basis. And while he has struggled with the Irons, Leeds fans only need to look at how former talisman Robert Snodgrass has bounced back from a miserable time with West Ham to help inspire Aston Villa’s promotion push this term.
If Hugill continues to be used sparingly, Leeds should certainly try their luck with a loan bid in the summer, and perhaps look to include a permanent clause in case he proves as influential as Snodgrass has at Villa Park this term.
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